Final Fantasy VIII

A JRPG that swaps traditional leveling for the junction system—you draw magic from enemies and items, then slot those spells onto stats to power up your party. Active Time Battle combat returns, but there's no MP pool; magic is a finite resource you collect and manage. You play as Squall, a mercenary deployed on contracts by his military academy. What starts as a local resistance job alongside a group called the Forest Owls spirals into a larger clash against a sorceress-led faction. The setting mixes fantasy with sci-fi tech. If you want something that tinkers with RPG fundamentals rather than refining them, this delivers.